


Fairy lights

by dreamynina



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:28:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25260142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamynina/pseuds/dreamynina
Summary: Archie Andrews keeps his promises, even the ones he made eleven years ago and especially when it is a promise he made to his best friend Betty Cooper.orArchie proposes to Betty when she turns 18
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	Fairy lights

Archie was excited and scared at the same time. It was almost creepy how nervous he was.

For what felt like the 100th time he ran his fingers over his shirt and his jeans. He wasn't sure if he has ever felt this nervous before in his life.

"You look good, son. Don't worry too much.", Fred said, smiling proudly and Archie turned around to his father. Archie smiled nervously and touched the shirt another time.

"Do you think she will say yes?", he asked.

Fred chuckled. "You know Betty better than anyone else does, Archie. If you don't know that, how am I supposed to know?" Archie knew, his dad was right. He was just stressed out at the moment.  
He ran his fingers through his hair and inhaled deeply.

He had known Betty his whole life, but most of the time they have been only best friends. Even though he had had a crush on her for years, they have been dating for not even two years and he wondered, if it was too early for their relationship.

"You're right, Dad. I'm just really nervous.", he said and looked into the mirror again.

Fred smiled. "Every man is, Archie. But I know, you two are perfect for each other."

"Thank you, Dad.", Archie said and Fred smiled slightly.

"Good luck, son.", Fred said and hugged Archie tightly. "I have to go now. Text me when you're done." Archie nodded and Fred left his room.

Archie looked into the mirror again and thought about everything again. He had planned this whole evening for months and he was still nervous. But he assumed, that was normal.

He was planning a picnic with her on the hill, they loved when they were children. Jughead had helped him with preparing everything.

He breathed in deeply and made his way out of his house to Betty's.

He rang the doorbell and a few seconds later, Betty opened the door. She looked absolutely stunning in her summer dress with sunflowers printed on it. She smiled softly and put one of her curls behind her ears.

"Happy birthday, my love.", he said with a sheepish smile and she fell into his arms and hugged him happily.

"You look incredible.", he added and heard her chuckle. His pulse increased a little, her chuckle was just too adorable. Then she let go of him and mustered him smiling.

"You look great, too.", she said and he smiled at her.

"Shall we?", he asked.

"I don't even know where we are going, Arch.", she said and he assumed it was a yes. Her hand slipped into his as if it was the most natural thing ever and they walked to his car.

"You will see.", he said mysteriously and Betty laughed.

"It's my birthday, so would you please tell me?", she begged and Archie smirked amused. She was absolutely adorable and once again he noticed, he was hopelessly in love with her. He opened the car door for her and got into the car after she sat down.

"It's not just your birthday, Betty. It's your 18th birthday and you deserve a special surprise.", he explained proudly and Betty rolled her eyes, but smirked.

"Whatever you say."

He started driving and she told him everything about the day she had.

"I haven't seen you a lot lately. What were you doing?", she asked and Archie stiffened a little. He couldn't tell her the whole truth.

"Uhh, I prepared this.", he said and Betty smiled softly.

"It wasn't necessary to plan something special, Arch. I'm happy whenever I'm with you.", she said and he smiled. If only she knew what else he had planned for her.

"Of course it was necessary. We both graduated from high school and you're turning 18 today.", he said and Betty leaned back into her seat and listened to the music.

"Are we driving to the hill? I know this street.", she said suddenly, looking out of the window and Archie grinned

"Maybe. I guess you'll just have to wait.", Archie replied and Betty rolled her eyes, but grinned.

When they were almost there, Archie stopped the car.

"You have to give me a minute, okay? And please close your eyes until I'm back.", he advised her and she just nodded irritated.

He walked to the back of his car and took out the picnic basket and blanket and ran up to the hill and the place under the tree. There he placed blanket and basket and all the food. 

All in all he was really proud with himself and Jughead. They had hung fairy lights into the tree, to create some magical atmosphere and they had also placed some in the grass. He turned them all on.

He ran back to the car and opened the door for Betty. She smiled and got out of it.

"Close your eyes. I will guide you.", he demanded and she closed her eyes.

"If I hit my head somewhere I'll blame you.", she warned him and he smirked.

"I'll try to avoid that.", he responded and he heard her laugh.

He locked the car and placed his hands on her shoulders. They carefully walked to the hill and Archie proudly noticed, how beautiful everything looked.

"Open your eyes.", he whispered into her ear and Betty opened her eyes. She gasped and he was really proud.

"Arch...", she murmured. "Did you do all of this?", she asked and turned around to face him.

"Jughead helped me.", he answered and shrugged.

Betty walked closer to him and cupped his face with her hands and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned her forehead against his and Archie closed his eyes, with a goofy smile plastered across his lips.

"I love you so much.", she whispered and brushed a light kiss onto his lips. 

"I love you more.", he answered and kissed her again. He could feel her smiling into the kiss and he smiled too. 

They separated and her hand slipped into his again. She pulled him to the picnic place and they sat down.

Archie crawled to the radio and turned it on. He had carefully made a playlist with all their favourite songs, so they could listen to them all night.

"You're the best boyfriend ever.", Betty said smiling and Archie smirked proudly.

"But only because you're the best girlfriend.", he responded and Betty laughed.

"That doesn't even make sense!", she laughed.

"Well, but it sounded cute right?", he asked jokingly and Betty just smiled.

"Kind of cheesy, but yes, it did sound cute.", she replied and intertwined his pinky finger with hers.

Intertwining their pinkies was kind of their thing and Archie loved it. 

They started it when they first started dating an kept it a secret from their friends and everyone. They didn't want to hurt Veronica and Jughead, but they couldn't keep their hands from another and during lunch break one day, he had just intertwined his pinky with hers, because the angle their arms would be pointed at, wouldn't look like they were holding hands. And since then, they've never stopped that.

Archie grabbed the food out of the basket and placed it on the blanket. He hadn't really chosen typical picnic food. It was mostly just the food they liked to eat, like a few pizza slices, bread, milkshakes from Pop's, salad, fries and a few more things.

"Enjoy your dinner.", he said and Betty grinned.

"It looks delicious, Arch."

They ate until they both weren't hungry anymore. 

Then Betty picked up everything and placed it next to the blanket, so they had more place on it. They immediately interlocked their pinkies again and Archie smiled, at how natural that felt. 

It was almost fascinating him, how natural their relationship felt in general. Almost as if they had been dating their whole lives.

"You are incredible, Arch. Have I ever told you that?", she said suddenly and he smiled. He didn't answer and they stared into the stars.

"I have a gift for you.", he said then and Betty looked at him surprised.

"I thought this here was the gift." 

Archie shook his head and reached into the basket, pulling out a small gift box. He handed it to Betty and she took it carefully, letting go of his pinky.

He missed her pinky finger immediately, but she needed both hands to unwrap his gift and reveal a small jewelry box.

She glanced at him and opened the box then. Her eyes widened and she looked at him surprised.

"You really remembered that?", she asked shocked and slowly pulled the necklace out of the box.

"Of course I did.", he said and watched her face.

It was the necklace she had seen in the window of a store and she had liked it.

"Arch, I can't believe it.", she whispered and looked at the locket in her hands. It was just a little heart with some decorative elements engraved in it.

She robbed closer to him and gave him the necklace and he put it around her neck. She turned around to him, to look into his eyes.

"You can't believe how happy I am right now.", she said with a soft smile on her lips and Archie smiled back warmly.

"I'm sure, I can.", he whispered against her skin and placed a kiss on her neck.

She leaned her back against him and he wrapped her arms around her. Then he smirked and let himself fall on the blanket, pulling her with him. She squealed out of surprise and they both landed on the blanket, his arms still around her.

"You could've warned me.", she pouted and Archie smiled into her golden curls.

"But then it wouldn't have been so fun.", he responded and Betty giggled.

Archie smiled. "I love watching the stars.", he said.

"They are beautiful.", she whispered back and for a moment it felt like they were the only ones in the entire universe.

The next song was 'Say you won't let go' by James Arthur and Archie knew she loved this song. And he did too.

"Would you like to dance?" Betty looked at him dismayed and sat up.

"Yeah, definitely.", she said. He got up and held his hand out for her and she grabbed it. He pulled her up and they walked to a place near the blanket, right under the big tree. There he placed his hands around her waist and she placed her hands around his neck.

They leaned their foreheads against each other's and slowly danced to the music. It felt really intimate and Archie loved it.

"This here feels so unreal. Like a dream.", Betty whispered smiling. And Archie nodded instantly, because it did. It felt like they were the only people in the world.

Archie closed his eyes and just danced with her, listening to the song. It was magical.

"Thank you for this beautiful night.", Betty whispered and Archie pulled her closer.

"I'd do that every day for you.", Archie responded and Betty chuckled.

"But then this wouldn't be the special night anymore.", Betty said and she sounded longingly.

"It will always be.", Archie promised and smiled knowingly. Betty didn't know yet, how special this night was going to become.

"Do you remember practising cartwheels for PE up here?", he asked suddenly and Betty laughed.

"Of course I do. I remember you falling really badly and me being worried about you.", she replied and Archie kissed her.

"I remember. But luckily we both are fine now.", he said and Betty nodded.

"We are more than fine."

They kept dancing for a long time until it got darker and kind of late. Luckily the fairy lights were still working and so it was bright enough for them.

They cleaned up everything and threw away their trash. Archie and Betty picked up all the fairy lights and LED candles and they walked back to his car.

"I have one more surprise for you, but you have to wear this blindfold.", he said and gave her the blindfold.

"Arch, what else have you planned?", she asked confused. "It's a little late."

"A surprise.", he answered simply and Betty rolled her eyes and took the blindfold. She knot it around her head and leaned back into the seat. Archie started the car and drove.

Betty didn't know, that he was just driving them to her house and it may not seemed like a special place to propose. But he had thought about the perfect place to propose quite often. He had thought about proposing to her right on the hill, but he decided her doorway would be better.

When they were in second grade and she helped him pass, he proposed to her right in front of her house. She said she'd say yes, when they both were 18. It was the case now and he had thought it would be romantic to propose to her, where he already had eleven years ago.

Archie was nervous. He had asked his Dad and Betty's mother to decorate the doorway with fairy lights and they had agreed happily.

He knew, they were both really young and he didn't expect, to get married in the next year. He thought they could get engaged for a few years and get married, when they graduated from college. That was everything, he had planned for their future for now.

They arrived at Betty's house and he stopped the car. He took the ringbox into his hands and put it into the pocket of his jacket. He got out of the car and inspected the doorway. 

It looked magical and Archie smiled content and nervous. He hadn't been this nervous the first time he proposed.

He opened the car and took Betty's hands to guide her to the place he had planned to propose.

He carefully took the blindfold off and threw it aside. Betty turned around to see where they were, and she laughed.

"We are in front of my house.", she said surprised and turned around to him.

"When did you have time to decorate everything with fairy lights, though?", she asked wondering and looked at him.

"Betty, do you remember what happened here, about eleven years ago?", he asked and she looked at him questioning.

"I don't know what exactly you mean.", she said confused.

"Eleven years ago.", she muttered, more to herself than to him.

"Arch, you're scaring me.", she said suddenly and stepped closer to him. 

He smiled wildly. "No, don't be scared.", he laughed.

"We've known each other for so long, and still we've been dating for less than two years.", he continued and Betty grinned.

"Do you remember when we were in second grade? When you helped me pass.", he asked.

Betty nodded.

"And you remember, what I did to thank you?"

Realisation hit Betty and her eyes widened. "Arch...", she gasped.

He kneed down in front of her and suddenly he wasn't nervous anymore.

He had prepared the speech and the way he wanted to ask her for a whole month, but suddenly he was scared, it was too cheesy or something like that. He slowly breathed to calm down and he decided, to use it anyways.

"Elizabeth Cooper, I've known you for what feels like my whole life and I've loved you since before I even knew what love was.", he paused.

Betty was staring at him, with her lips parted from surprise and her eyes widened. But she smiled at his words.

"It was a long and difficult journey for us to arrive where we are now, but for me it was definitely worth it. Because I'm just hopelessly in love with you. And I know I want to spend the rest of my life with you, my soulmate."

He smiled at her. "Because I know, that's what you are, my soulmate. There has been a time where I didn't believe in soulmates and destiny. But that changed because I feel like I am destined to be with you."

"I want to have sleepy mornings with you, on which we don't want to get out of bed. I want us to build up a family and I just want a future with you with evreything it holds within."

"Arch...", she whispered again and he smiled. Her eyes were widely opened and she looked adorable.

Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box. He opened it and held it up to her.

"Will you marry me?", he asked finally and his heart beat was so loud, that he wondered if she heard it too.

She looked at him with a wide smile on her lips. "Yes. Of course I will."

Archie beamed all over his face and put the ring on her ring finger. 

He got up and Betty pulled him close and pressed her lips onto his. He lifted her up and twirled her around, without interrupting the kiss.

Their lips separated and he put her back on the ground, without letting go of her.

"I love you, Betty Cooper.", he said beaming and she gave him one more kiss.

"And I love you, Archie Andrews.", she replied.


End file.
